1. Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of appliances. More specifically, the invention relates to a front-loading washing machine having a rotatable laundry drum with a casing, and with an axis of rotation in the operating position of the washing machine which deviates from the horizontal such that it slopes upward in the forward direction. The laundry drum has hollow, elongate paddles that are disposed on the inside of the casing. The paddles include liquid inlet openings located such that when located in a lower position as a result of drum rotation are proximate the rear region of the laundry drum. By such arrangement, upon rotation of the drum, the openings provide at the lowermost position admission of liquid into the paddle. A baffle arrangement redirects the liquid within the paddle to be discharged from the paddle through openings located toward the front of the drum when the paddle is in, or around, the upper most region of the drum during a rotation cycle.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Prior art washing machines have included arrangements where laundry that is to be washed is exposed to washing liquid and moved mechanically to remove soiling on wash items. With drum-type washing machines, that function is performed by a laundry drum that is arranged essential horizontally in a tub. The drum is arranged for receiving the laundry and rotated to move the laundry in its interior. In order to assist in moving the laundry, rib-like paddles are aligned transverse to the movement direction of the laundry-drum casing.
Other prior art drum-type washing machines exist that position the paddles obliquely to run along a helical line on the inside of the laundry-drum casing. The paddles are arranged obliquely for the purpose of influencing the movement of the laundry. This causes the laundry to be transported by the paddles within the drum as the drum rotates.
One prior art approach which tends to distribute water throughout the laundry drum and in contact with the wash items involves having paddles arranged to scoop water in the lowermost region of the tub to raise the water as the laundry drum rotates to spray the water from a raised position, through openings onto the laundry located beneath. However, this configuration is such that the scooped quantity of liquid is discharged before the paddles have reached the position in which they are located essentially above the laundry. Such an arrangement slows the wetting process to a considerable degree because the liquid discharge only runs down the inner wall of the drum.
In an attempt to avoid such an occurrence, U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,767 discloses a front-loading washing machine which includes a laundry drum rotatably mounted around a rotation axis. The rotation axis slopes upward in a direction defined from the rear region to the front region. Hollow elongate paddles are disposed on the interior of the casing of the laundry drum in an oblique arrangement with respect to a direction of rotation. Each of the paddles includes liquid inlets which pass through a rear lower region of the laundry drum as a result of rotation to collect liquid and discharge it through outlets when the paddles are in an upper position within the drum. The drum is cylindrical and includes a casing line. Paddles are fastened on the inner casing of the drum cylinder and the inlets project outside of the casing line, i.e., beyond the drum, for scooping water into the paddles.
All the prior art discussed fails to address the desirability of directing water collected from the bottom of a rotating drum which is inclined, and redistributing the liquid in a manner consistently wetting laundry items within the drum at a location forward relative to the rear of the drum, such that laundry items towards the front of the drum are also uniformly exposed to washing liquid within the washing machine.